1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to jackets having all year usability. Specifically, the present invention provides a multi-functional jacket which has three separate layers and is convertible between an outer jacket, an inner jacket, a trainer's vest and a combination of all three layers. More specifically, each jacket type has multiple pockets for the holding of various items.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents describe jackets which attempt to provide all season wear and try to provide multi-purpose and multi-functional features.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 251,936 to Ted G. Shaw describes a combined jacket with a detachable backpack.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,444 to Carl T. Rector describes a combination with an article of wearing apparel having a hooked fabric secured thereto, a detachable pocket comprising a pair of substantially parallel sides peripherally joined with a substantially continuous seam and having a slit formed through one side, the slit providing access into the pocket, said one side having an exterior woolly surface that engages the hooked fabric to detachably join the pocket to the article of wearing apparel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,549 to Paul Ray Atkinson describes a vest formed of flexible panels that adjust to the contour of the wearer, pocket support and shape stiffening structures are provided so that the pockets may adjustably yet firmly be located or removed and also, when in place, conform to the curved contours of the worn garment panels while providing rigidity of shape, dimension and conformance to body contour.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,892 to John A. Gonzales describes a sleeping bag which is convertible into different garments; and which includes front and rear panels that can be zipped together in variable ways, and the device additionally includes a pair of foot warmers, a pair of gloves and a belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,059 to Louis Spitz describes an insulation-filled jacket which has removably fastened sleeves, and retaining means for attaching the sleeves, when removed, to the inside of the jacket thereby increasing the depth of insulation over substantial surface areas of the jacket. The retaining means are positioned to hold the sleeves so as to maximize the surface area of the sleeves presented, and the depth of insulation afforded to the wearer at critical heat loss locations of his body, in order to minimize critical heat loss and to retard hypothermia. The retaining means may include fastening components constructed integrally with the removable sleeves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,629 to Toru Itoi discloses a new combination garment which is useful both as a jacket and a bag having a trunk portion for covering the upper half of a human body, and formed with an opening through which a human head passes, sleeve portions through which both arms extend sideways and a head portion detachably secured to the trunk portion, in which the human head is received. When using the trunk portion as a bag, the sleeve portions are received in the trunk portion so that any part of the sleeve portions which does not protrude outside and the openings through which the arms and head pass are closed. The first opening is formed at the joint between the trunk portion and sleeve portion so that the latter is received in the former through the first opening. The first opening can be closed by means of a fastener which is operated after receiving the sleeve portions in the trunk portion. In the meanwhile, the second opening is formed at the joint between the trunk portion and head portion and can be closed by a hook device. When the trunk portion is filled with small-sized goods, it is carried with the both first and second opening closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,155 to Seiichi Maeshina describes a jumper which is convertible to a thick type or thin type jumper by detachably attaching a liner therein. Said jumper having a front and back panels and a pair of sleeves extending from the panel, which comprises: a right side constituting an outer face of the front and back panels and sleeves; a lining constituting an inner face of the front and back panels and sleeves, said lining being stitched to the right side at its peripheral edge of the panel so as to form a space between the right side and the lining, said lining having, at the back panel, a slit which communicates to the space; and a liner detachably attached in the space through the slit. The liner can be stably fixed in position in the space by a plurality of snap fasteners and loops provided at cuffs of the liner. Said jumper is excellent in the cold-proof and the water-proof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,682 to Paul A. Hillquist describes a convertible jacket comprising a sleeveless body garment in the general form of a vest and an upper component comprising, as a unit, two sleeve portions connected by a yoke portion incorporating a neckhole and, optionally, a neckhole extension such as a collar or hood. The yoke portion of the upper component is so configured as to substantially cover the upper back and shoulder area of the body. The upper component, when combined with the vest, forms a selectively convertible jacket providing a second layer of construction upon the upper back and shoulders, minimum restriction of arm and shoulder movement and positive body ventilation. The upper component can be readily oriented to and attached to the vest by fastener means and can be readily detached and removed from the vest. Such attachment or removal may be effected without regard to whether the vest is being worn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,089 to Gary E. Nesse describes a garment which converts from a jacket to a vest and vice versa. The garment has retractable sleeves which are rolled or folded into sleeve storage compartments which encircle the arm holes. In one embodiment, the sleeves have a longitudinal slit which runs the length thereof to facilitate folding for storage in the compartment. The garment has a retractable hood which stores in a hidden compartment in the collar. The garment has one or more retractable safety panels which can be colored international orange and/or have enhanced light reflective properties. The safety panels cover a substantial portion of the back of the garment when in use. The garment has a day pack as an integral part thereof. The garment has means to adjust the fit around the midsection of the torso by constriction of the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,647 to James G. Phillips, Sr. et al. describes a cold weather system for keeping a wearer comfortable in a temperature of about -60.degree. F.-+40.degree. F. and winds up to 100 miles per hour, which utilizes a shirt, pants, parka and wind shirt and wind pants. A sleeping bag and moisture handling pad/deicing cloth are compressed in compressor bags and easily transported by the wearer for comfort during sleeping too, and used with a bivvy sack having a tent flap. The shirt and pants are ventable so that they provide comfort over a wide temperature range, the vents being completely closed when maximum thermal protection is desired. The parka includes a windskirt which engages the wearer's legs. The wind garments are made of fine denier 100% synthetic material tightly woven so that they have very low air porosity. The parka and wind shirt can be connected together to provide an emergency bivac sleeping bag. The shirt, pants and parka include an inner fabric of 100% synthetic material, an inner layer of foam at least 1/8 inch thick, and up to about one inch thick, and an outer shell of low porosity, but high moisture vapor transmission material. Portions of the shirt and pants that will be vented also include a fabric covering the insulation, the insulation covering fabric having very high air porosity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,656 to Gary E. Nesse describes a removable insert assembly which is used in combination with the jacket/vest or other types of jackets to provide thermal insulation during cold weather. The left sleeve insert and the right sleeve insert are also used in combination with the jacket/vest or other types of jackets to provide complete thermal protection to the wearer. In alternative embodiments the insert assembly and sleeve inserts can be manufactured from ballistic cloth or other suitable material to provide removable body armor to the jacket/vest or other types of jackets. In another alternative embodiment the insert assembly and sleeve inserts can be manufactured to serve as a personal flotation device when installed inside of the jacket/vest or other jackets. In another alternative embodiment a Mae West type life preserver can be used in conjunction with the jacket/vest or other types jackets to function as a personal flotation device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,127 to Eric Scott Zevchak describes a system of interchangeable pockets. The system generally comprises a plurality of base pads attached to articles of clothing and a plurality of interchangeable pockets. The pockets of the system are made interchangeable by attaching a first type of fastening material to the back of each pocket and a corresponding second type of fastening material to each base pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,614 to Kenneth E. McSheffery describes a reversible fishing garment, preferably in the form of a vest, having front and rear torsal portions which are substantially identical in construction and selectively accessible by the wearer. Both the front and the rear torsal portions include exterior flaps attached to the left and right sides thereof. Each of the flaps opens outwardly from the wearer's body to expose a plurality of easily accessible clear plastic pockets that are detachably secured to interior surfaces of the flaps. The detachability of the clear plastic pockets permits the wearer to modify the vest by fitting the flaps with pockets of predetermined sizes to suit the wearer's needs. The clear plastic of the pockets provides unhindered visibility of the fishing gear carried within the pockets. The provision of the pocket-carrying flaps on both the front and rear torsal portions of the vest dramatically increases the versatility, the number of pockets and the storage space that is available to the wearer in relation to fishing vests of conventional construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,456 to Lewis R. Elin describes outerwear garments for use by emergency medical services personnel particularly in cold weather months which are provided with an exterior tool holster panel positioned on the exterior of the front of the garment. The tool holster panel includes a plurality of pockets each adapted to receive a piece of emergency medical equipment. Each pocket has a top opening which permits the item to be easily introduced and removed through the top opening in use. The tool holster panel is hingedly connected to a front panel of the garment so that its bottom edge is free to swing outwardly to thereby maintain the vertical alignment of the pockets when the wearer bends over a victim in use. The top hinged connection of the tool holster panel to a breast portion of the jacket prevents the contents of the pockets from being spilled in use and maintains the items within ready visual and manual access of the wearer. The usual bulkiness of winter weight coats or other garments do not interfere with these visual and manual access provided by the front mounted tool holster panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,838 to Dane E. Senser describes a convertible, outerwear garment comprising a sleeveless vest with a jacket having sleeves attached to the interior of the vest at a pouch or pocket formed along a lower edge of the jacket. Panels at the sides of the jacket may be joined to the side of the pouch to complete the jacket structure. The jacket may be inserted into a pouch pocket when the vest is worn without the jacket. The jacket may be deployed from the pouch and the jacket sleeves inserted through the side openings in the vest, the jacket mode to provide added protection to the wearer. In this mode, the lower side panels of the jacket are secured at the side of the pouch. Another pocket may be provided in the rear of the vest to receive a rain cape or poncho which may be deployed by the user for additional wet weather protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,075 to Ronald J. Svetich describes an athlete's arm jacket which includes a first shell portion for covering one side of the upper torso of a person wearing the jacket. A sleeve is secured to the shell portion for covering one arm. A mesh covers the opposite side of the upper torso, and a second shell portion is detachably secured to the first shell portion. Another sleeve is attached to the second shell portion. The jacket may be worn and used as a traditional jacket, or one shell portion may be detached so that only one arm, shoulder and one side of the upper torso of the body are covered.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,000 to Lynn Van Ost et al. describes a multi compartment, modular jacket includes a vest which has a vest front panel, a vest rear panel, a pair of armholes and a fastener for opening the vest. A plurality of pockets covers the outer surface of the vest. The vest has a fastener for releasably attaching a pair of detachable sleeves to the pair of armholes. The inner jacket has a front panel, a rear panel, a pair of sleeves and a means for opening the inner jacket. The exterior surface of the rear panel has a pouch. A plurality of pockets covers the pouch and the exterior surface. The inner jacket has a collar which contains a collapsible hood. A first composite jacket is formed by fastening the vest to the inner jacket. The first composite jacket has an outside surface which is the exterior surface and an inside surface which is the outer surface. The outer jacket has a jacket front panel, a jacket rear panel, a first pair of sleeves and a fastener for opening the outer jacket. A third plurality of pockets cover the external and the internal surfaces. The outer jacket has a collar which has a removable hood. A second composite jacket is formed via a fastener which extends around an outer seam of the first composite jacket and of the outer jacket.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.